''Wifemistress'' () is a 1977

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

romantic movie Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey through dat ...

directed by

Marco Vicario Marco Vicario (20 September 1925 – 10 September 2020) was an Italian film actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He appeared in 23 films between 1950 and 1958. He also wrote for 13 films, produced 12 and directed a further 11. He ...

Plot

Ever since her husband pronounced her frigid on the night of their wedding, Antonia DeAngelis (

Laura Antonelli Laura Antonelli (née Antonaz; 28 November 1941 – 22 June 2015) was an Italian film actress who appeared in 45 films between 1964 and 1991. Early years Antonelli was born Laura Antonaz in Pula, Pola, Kingdom of Italy (in Croatian, Pula), ...

) has been bedridden. When her husband disappears, she sets off in his

horse and buggy A buggy refers to a lightweight four-wheeled carriage drawn by a single horse, though occasionally by two. Amish buggies are still regularly in use on the roadways of America. The word "buggy" has become a generic term for "carriage" in Americ ...

on his route to find out what happened to him. She learns about her husband's business, his passions, his political writing, his mistresses, and his indifference to the

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...

s on her family's land. Her growing knowledge about her husband's life causes her own passions to stir, and she takes over her husband's

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

, his habits, his thoughts, and even his mistress. She begins an affair with a young foreign doctor, improves the conditions of the peasants, and publishes her husband's writings. In reality, a

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

charge has forced Luigi into hiding directly across the street from his own home, where he watches Antonia become his sexual and

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

equal from behind the slats of a boarded window. Once Antonia became aware of the fact that Luigi was watching her from his hiding place, she opened her windows wide and continued her erotic escapades. This tortured Luigi as he did not know his wife was capable of such passion and eroticism. After the police drop the murder charge, he must decide whether and how to deal with his wife's transformation.

Cast

as Antonia De Angelis *

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (26 September 1924Come da lui stesso dichiarato a 1'10" dquesta intervista/ref> – 19 December 1996) was an Italian actor. He is generally regarded as one of Italy's most iconic male performers of the 20t ...

as Luigi De Angelis * Leonard Mann as Dr. Dario Favella * William Berger as Count Brandini *

Gastone Moschin Gastone Moschin (; 8 June 1929 – 4 September 2017) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. Career Born in San Giovanni Lupatoto (Veneto), Moschin graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico and then began ...

as Vincenzo *

Olga Karlatos Olga Karlatos (; 20 April 1947) is a retired Greek actress and Bermudian lawyer, known primarily for performing in Italian horror cinema. Career Between the end of the 1960s and the early 70s, Karlatos had a short career as a singer, recor ...

as Dr. Paola Pagano * Stefano Patrizi as Enrico, Clara's fiancé *

Luigi Diberti Luigi Diberti (born 29 September 1939) is an Italian actor and dubber. After graduating from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, he first appeared in small theater roles before having his breakout in 1968 with Luca Ronconi's ''L'Orl ...

as Lawyer *

Enzo Robutti Enzo Robutti (24 October 1933 – 13 February 2022) was an Italian actor, voice actor, comedian, playwright, and writer. Life and career Born in Bologna, Robutti attended the drama school of the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, and debuted on stage ...

as Priest * Daniele Gabbai as Young official

References

External links

* 1977 films 1970s Italian-language films 1977 romantic comedy films Films directed by Marco Vicario Italian romantic comedy films 1970s Italian films Italian-language romantic comedy films {{1970s-romantic-comedy-film-stub